Configurable receive path for mixer-first or amplifier-first signal processing

Abstract

This invention discloses configurable receive paths for mixer-priority or amplifier-priority signal processing, including receivers with reconfigurable processing paths for different signal conditions. Such receivers can be reconfigured between mixer-priority and amplifier-priority configurations. In the mixer-priority configuration, the RF input signal is not amplified by an LNA before being processed for down-conversion to baseband and ultimately information extraction. In the amplifier-priority configuration, the RF input signal is amplified by an LNA before being processed for down-conversion to baseband and ultimately information extraction. The reconfiguration of the receiver between mixer-priority and amplifier-priority configurations can be performed based on the detection of interference signals and / or the measurement of the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Cross-reference with related applications

[0002] This application claims the right to U.S. Patent Application No. 17 / 448,499, filed September 22, 2021, entitled “CONFIGURABLE RECEIVE PATH FOR MIXER-FIRST OR AMPLIFIER-FIRST SIGNAL PROCESSING,” the entire contents of which are expressly incorporated herein by reference.

[0003] The various embodiments disclosed herein generally relate to wireless communication systems, and more specifically, to radio frequency (RF) processing circuitry for wireless communication systems. Several features can be implemented and provide improved communication, including improved receiver functionality. Prior Technology

[0004] Wireless communication networks are widely deployed to provide various communication services, such as voice, video, packet messaging, information delivery, and broadcasting. These wireless networks can be multiple access networks (MIRVs) capable of supporting multiple users by sharing available network resources.

[0005] A wireless communication network may include several components. These components may include wireless communication equipment, such as a base station (or node B) that can support communication for many user equipment (UEs). UEs can communicate with the base station via downlinks and uplinks. A downlink (or forward link) refers to the communication link from the base station to the UE, while an uplink (or reverse link) refers to the communication link from the UE to the base station.

[0006] A base station can transmit data and control information to a UE on the downlink, or receive data and control information from a UE on the uplink. On the downlink, transmissions from the base station may encounter interference from neighboring base stations or other radio frequency (RF) transmitters. On the uplink, transmissions from the UE may encounter interference from uplink transmissions from other UEs communicating with neighboring base stations or from other RF transmitters. This interference can degrade downlink and uplink performance.

[0007] As the demand for mobile broadband access continues to increase, and as more UEs access long-range wireless networks and more short-range wireless systems are deployed in communities, the likelihood of interference and network congestion is also growing. Research and development continue to advance wireless technologies not only to meet the growing demand for mobile broadband access, but also to advance and enhance the user experience of mobile communications.

[0008] Wireless signals received at wireless devices (whether base stations or user equipment) may have low signal strength. Wireless devices can include amplifiers to amplify the signal strength, aiding in signal processing and extracting transmitted information. A low-noise amplifier (LNA) is an amplifier with electronic components that amplify the signal to generate a higher-strength signal, improving signal processing and increasing the likelihood of successfully recovering data embedded in the signal. LNAs operate on low-power signals, such as small signals received through small antennas in small mobile devices. LNAs operate on these small signals without significantly reducing the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the received signal. However, interference from other wireless devices increases the difficulty of recovering data from the signal. For example, large interfering signals may mask the desired signal and may saturate the LNA and / or other RF components (such as baseband filters). When components saturate, data embedded in the signal may be lost.

[0009] Traditional solutions have become less effective due to the increasingly congested spectrum used to transmit information in wireless signals. One traditional solution is to place an attenuator before the LNA to reduce interference. However, this solution can be power-intensive, which is detrimental to wireless devices, and the combination of attenuator and LNA can introduce non-linearity that leads to information loss in the signal. Another traditional solution is to use LNA linearization techniques, but these also consume power, which is detrimental to wireless devices. Furthermore, LNA linearization techniques vary considerably and require calibration.

[0010] The disadvantages mentioned herein are merely representative and are included to emphasize the problems the inventors have identified with respect to existing devices and to attempt to improve upon them. The device variants described below can address some or all of these disadvantages, as well as other disadvantages known in the art. The improved device variants described below can offer even more benefits than those described above and can be used in a wider range of applications than those described above. Summary of the Invention

[0011] The embodiments disclosed herein may include a receiver with configurable processing paths adaptable to different signal conditions. Such a receiver can be reconfigured between a mixer-priority configuration and an amplifier-priority configuration. In the mixer-priority configuration, the RF input signal is not amplified by an LNA in the receiver before being processed for down-conversion to baseband and ultimately information extraction. In the amplifier-priority configuration, the RF input signal is amplified by an LNA in the receiver before being processed for down-conversion to baseband and ultimately information extraction. Reconfiguring the receiver between mixer-priority and amplifier-priority configurations allows the receiver to adapt to different RF input signals. For example, for RF input signals coexisting with large interference signals, the receiver can be configured in mixer-priority mode to provide high linearity performance and reduce the likelihood of RF component saturation in the receiver. As another example, mixer-priority configuration can be used to process RF input signals with a high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), in which case amplification in the receiver may or may not be useful, but the received SNR is sufficient for processing without further amplification. In some embodiments, mixer-priority configuration can reduce power consumption by allowing LNAs to be disabled. In some embodiments, mixer-priority configuration can allow the use of cheaper filters coupled to the receiver's radio frequency front end (RFFE), or it can allow the removal of filters from the RFFE. In some embodiments, reconfiguration can extend from reconfiguring the receiver to including reconfiguring the RFFE. For example, when the receiver is in mixer-priority configuration, the RFFE can be reconfigured to disable amplifiers and / or filters in the RFFE. Such a configuration can further improve the linearity of the wireless device or avoid losses from filters when processing RF input signals. When the conditions of the RF input signal are determined to be unsuitable for processing in mixer-priority configuration, the receiver can be configured for amplifier-priority configuration. Switching between mixer-priority and amplifier-priority configurations can be performed using pattern-based SNR or RF detector-based SNR measurements.

[0012] Wireless devices with configurable receivers and / or RFFEs can improve the ability to extract information from wireless signals during signal processing. Part of this improvement is achieved by configuring the receiver in a mixer-priority mode to reduce interference from interfering signals. Interference is an unwanted signal component whose amplitude may be much higher than the desired signal component and may be close to the desired signal component in frequency. For example, interfering signals may be present when multiple wireless communication systems coexist. In one example, coexistence could be between long-range and short-range wireless communication systems, such as 5G signals and Wi-Fi signals. In another example, coexistence could be between two long-range wireless communication systems operating in similar frequency bands, such as 5G signals and 4G signals. In yet another example, coexistence could be between two radio access technologies (RATs), even when the RF signals for the RATs are separated in frequency space, such as 5G millimeter-wave signals and 5G sub-7 GHz signals. In the example of 5G millimeter wave, the 5G millimeter wave IF signal down-converted from the millimeter wave RF signal may overlap with the 5G sub-7 GHz signal in frequency space and / or be located at the harmonics of the 5G sub-7 GHz signal. The coexistence of these signals on the same or nearby transmission paths (e.g., near each other or more generally in the same integrated circuit or on the same substrate) may generate spikes in the signal paths of both the sub-7 GHz and millimeter wave IF signals. For example, interference may also exist for the coexistence of signals from the same communication system on different carriers (such as a 5G signal on one carrier coexisting with a 5G signal on another). The interference problem is exacerbated when the communication system supports carrier aggregation, where devices simultaneously transmit and / or receive related information on multiple carriers. The interference problem is further amplified when different RF signals are processed on the same integrated circuit (IC). Mixer-priority configuration can be used for 5G sub-7 GHz RF signals, but allows the receiver to be reconfigured to amplifier-priority configuration to handle 5G millimeter-wave RF signals, thus allowing RF input signals with different carriers and / or technologies to be processed in a single-chip IC.

[0013] In some embodiments, the frequency down-conversion in the receiver can be configured as a double-balanced mixer, a single-balanced mixer, or a single-balanced mixer with a phasor mixer. A phasor mixer operates on the same local oscillator (LO) signal as the main mixer, but does not receive RF input signals, or receives input signals but does not generate an output, or its output is not processed. A phasor mixer can be used to minimize noise contributions from the local oscillator (LO) in the baseband signal. When using a single-balanced mixer with a phasor mixer, the receiver's main mixer and phasor mixer can be reconfigured to process signals differently in mixer-priority and amplifier-priority configurations. For example, one of the main mixer or phasor mixer can process the RF input signal in a mixer-priority configuration, while the other can process the RF input signal in an amplifier-priority configuration. By reusing the main mixer and dummy mixer by switching which mixer receives the RF input signal for downconversion, mixer degradation components for mixer-first and amplifier-first configurations can be separated. In some embodiments, amplifier-first configuration may include a mixer degeneration resistor (RRF) for improving linearity; however, the typical value of the RRF affects the input impedance matching for mixer-first configuration, so a mixer with an RRF may be undesirable for mixer-first configuration. In some embodiments, tunable input switches and gain control elements are included in the mixer-first configuration for input impedance matching and receive signal gain control.

[0014] In one embodiment of this disclosure, a method includes processing an RF input signal in an amplifier-priority configuration in a receiver using a first mixer and determining whether a criterion for switching to a mixer-priority configuration for the receiver is met. When the determination indicates that the criterion is met, the method includes configuring the receiver to a mixer-priority configuration and / or processing the RF input signal in the receiver in a mixer-priority configuration using a second mixer. Determining whether the criterion is met may include determining whether a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) is above a threshold and / or determining whether an interference signal with a signal strength above a threshold is detected in the RF input signal. In some embodiments, after configuring the receiver to a mixer-priority configuration, the method may include determining whether a second criterion for switching to an amplifier-priority configuration for the receiver is met, and when the determination indicates that the second criterion is met, configuring the receiver to an amplifier-priority configuration where the second mixer is a dummy mixer and / or processing the RF input signal in the receiver in an amplifier-priority configuration using the first mixer. Configuring for mixer priority configuration may include bypassing receiver amplifiers, bypassing RFFE amplifiers, adjusting gain control elements before down-converting the RF input signal in the second mixer, switching switches to configure the processing path of the RF input signal through the gain control elements and the second mixer, adjusting the gain control elements coupled in parallel with a degradation resistor, and / or closing switches to couple the RF input signal, such as directly to the second mixer when no matching network is required, or to the second mixer through a matching network. In some embodiments, the method may include determining whether the RF input signal includes a carrier aggregation (CA) signal, and when the determination result indicates that the RF input signal includes a CA signal, processing at least a first carrier of the CA signal through the first mixer in amplifier priority configuration and / or processing at least a second carrier of the CA signal through the second mixer in mixer priority configuration. In some cases involving 5G millimeter wave and 5G sub-7 GHz operations, at least a first carrier for processing CA signals includes processing 5G millimeter wave RF signals via a first mixer, and at least a second carrier for processing CA signals includes processing 5G sub-7 GHz RF signals via a second mixer.

[0015] In one embodiment of this disclosure, the apparatus includes a receiver port for receiving an RF input signal, a first mixer coupled to the receiver port, a second mixer coupled to the receiver port, a low-noise amplifier (LNA) coupled between the receiver port and the first mixer, and / or a switch coupled between the receiver port and the LNA, wherein the switch is configured to at least partially switch the receiver between an amplifier-preferred configuration and a mixer-preferred configuration. In some embodiments, the second switch may be coupled between the LNA and the first mixer, coupled between the LNA and the second mixer, and configured to convert the first mixer from a main mixer to a dummy mixer.

[0016] In another embodiment of this disclosure, an apparatus is disclosed comprising logic circuitry (such as at least one processor) and memory coupled to the at least one processor. The at least one processor is configured to perform any of the methods or techniques described herein. For example, the at least one processor may be configured to perform the following steps: determining whether a criterion for switching between a mixer-priority configuration and an amplifier-priority configuration is met; operating a switch based on whether the criterion is met; determining whether the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the RF input signal is higher than a threshold value; and / or determining whether an interference signal with a signal strength higher than the threshold value is detected in the RF input signal. In some embodiments, the logic circuitry may be configured to determine whether a second criterion for switching to an amplifier-priority configuration of the receiver is met, and when the second criterion is met, configuring the receiver to an amplifier-priority configuration and / or processing the RF input signal in the receiver in the amplifier-priority configuration via a first mixer.

[0017] In another embodiment of this disclosure, an apparatus is disclosed comprising a receiver radio frequency front-end (RFFE) coupled to a receiver. The RFFE may include filters, matching networks, one or more switches, and / or low-noise amplifiers. Logic circuitry may be configured to control at least one of the filters or LNAs of the RFFE based on whether a second criterion is met. The receiver and RFFE may be separate integrated circuits (ICs) that can be coupled via a printed circuit board (PCB) and share components such as power supplies.

[0018] In another embodiment of this disclosure, the reconfiguration means between a mixer-preferred configuration and an amplifier-preferred configuration can be performed by controlling a switch for bypassing an LNA; adjusting the gain of the RF input signal before down-conversion of the RF input signal in a second mixer; controlling a switch coupled between the LNAs in the first mixer and between the LNAs in the second mixer, and configured to configure a processing path for the RF input signal in the mixer-preferred configuration via a gain control element and the second mixer; controlling the switch to initiate a first processing path to the first mixer; controlling the switch to initiate a second processing path to the second mixer; controlling the switch to process at least a first carrier of the CA signal through the first processing path including the LNA and the first mixer; controlling the switch to process at least a second carrier of the CA signal through the second processing path including the second mixer; controlling the switch to bypass a filter; and / or components for reconfiguring a receiver between an amplifier-preferred configuration and a mixer-preferred configuration, wherein the amplifier-preferred configuration couples the receiver port to the LNA and the first mixer, and wherein the mixer-preferred configuration couples the receiver port to the second mixer without passing through the LNA.

[0019] In another aspect of this disclosure, non-transitory computer-readable media storage instructions, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations including those described in the methods and techniques described herein and those described in the operation of logic circuits. For example, the operations may include determining whether a criterion for switching between mixer-priority and amplifier-priority configurations is met, operating a switch based on whether the criterion is met, determining whether the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the RF input signal is above a threshold, and / or determining whether an interference signal with a signal strength above a threshold is detected in the RF input signal.

[0020] After reviewing the specific, exemplary patterns in conjunction with the diagrams, other patterns, features, and implementations will become apparent to those skilled in the art. While features may be discussed below with respect to certain patterns and diagrams, each pattern may include one or more advantageous features discussed herein. In other words, while one or more patterns may be discussed as having certain advantageous features, one or more of these features may also be used according to the pattern. Similarly, while exemplary patterns may be discussed below as device, system, or method patterns, exemplary patterns can be implemented in various devices, systems, and methods.

[0021] The foregoing has provided a fairly broad overview of certain features and technical advantages of embodiments of the present invention to facilitate a better understanding of the following detailed description. Other features and advantages constituting the subject matter of the claims will be described below. Those skilled in the art will understand that the disclosed concepts and specific embodiments can be readily used as the basis for modifications or the design of other structures to achieve the same or similar purposes. Those skilled in the art will also recognize that such equivalent structures do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. Other features will be better understood from the following description when considered in conjunction with the drawings. However, it should be clearly understood that each drawing is provided for illustrative and descriptive purposes only and is not intended to limit the invention. Simple Explanation of the Diagram

[0022] A further understanding of the nature and advantages of this disclosure can be achieved by referring to the following figures. In the figures, similar components or features may have the same reference numerals. Furthermore, various components of the same type can be distinguished by a dash following the reference numeral and a second reference numeral used to differentiate between similar components. If only the first reference numeral is used in the specification, the description applies to any similar component having the same first reference numeral, regardless of the second reference numeral.

[0023] Figure 1 is a block diagram illustrating the details of an example wireless communication system based on one or more configurations.

[0024] Figure 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a base station and a user equipment (UE) based on one or more configurations.

[0025] Figure 3 is a block diagram illustrating an RFFE and transceiver circuit with reconfigurable capability for switching between mixer priority and amplifier priority, based on one or more state diagrams.

[0026] Figure 4 is a flowchart illustrating a method for operating receiver circuitry with reconfigurable capability for switching between mixer priority and amplifier priority, based on one or more state diagrams.

[0027] Figure 5 is a flowchart illustrating a method for operating receiver circuitry with reconfigurable capability to use a pseudo-mixer when configured in a mixer-preferred configuration, based on one or more state diagrams.

[0028] Figure 6A is a circuit diagram of a single-balanced mixer with a pseudo-mixer configured in an amplifier-preferred configuration, based on one or more state patterns.

[0029] Figure 6B is a circuit diagram of a single-balanced mixer with a pseudo-mixer configured in a mixer-preferred configuration, based on one or more state patterns.

[0030] Figure 7 is a circuit diagram illustrating a receiver circuit with reconfigurable capability having a mixer priority gain control switch connected in parallel with a mixer degradation resistor, based on one or more state diagrams.

[0031] Figure 8 is a circuit diagram of a single-balanced mixer that can be used with or not used with a pseudo-mixer that can be reconfigured between mixer priority and amplifier priority, according to one or more state diagrams.

[0032] Figure 9 is a circuit diagram illustrating the processing of carrier aggregation (CA) RF signals by a receiver that can be reconfigured between mixer priority and amplifier priority, according to one or more configurations.

[0033] Figure 10 is a diagram illustrating an example RF signal with B1+B3 RF signals that can be advantageously processed, based on one or more state patterns.

[0034] Figure 11 is a diagram illustrating an example RF signal with a B2+n2 RF signal that can be advantageously processed, based on one or more state patterns.

[0035] Figure 12 is a diagram illustrating an example RF signal with 2.4 GHz WiFi coexistence that can be advantageously processed, based on one or more state patterns.

[0036] The same reference number and name in each drawing indicate the same element. Implementation

[0037] The following detailed description, illustrated with reference to the figures, is intended as a description of various configurations and is not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. Rather, the detailed description includes specific details and is intended to provide a thorough understanding of the subject matter of the invention. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that these specific details are not necessary in every case, and in some instances, well-known structures and components are shown in block diagram form for clarity of representation.

[0038] This disclosure generally relates to providing or participating in communication (e.g., authorized shared access) between two or more wireless devices in one or more wireless communication systems (also referred to as wireless communication networks). In various implementations, these technologies and apparatuses can be used in wireless communication networks such as code division multiple access (CDMA) networks, time division multiple access (TDMA) networks, frequency division multiple access (FDMA) networks, orthogonal FDMA (OFDMA) networks, single-carrier FDMA (SC-FDMA) networks, LTE networks, GSM networks, fifth-generation (5G) or new radio (NR) networks (sometimes referred to as "5G NR" networks, systems, or devices) and other communication networks. As described herein, the terms "network" and "system" are used interchangeably.

[0039] For example, CDMA networks can implement radio technologies such as Universal Terrestrial Radio Access (UTRA) and CDMA2000. UTRA includes Wideband CDMA (W-CDMA) and Low Chip Rate (LCR). CDMA2000 encompasses the IS-2000, IS-95, and IS-856 standards.

[0040] For example, TDMA networks can implement radio technologies such as the Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM). The 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) defined the standard for the GSM EDGE (enhanced data rates for GSM evolution) radio access network (RAN), also referred to as GERAN. GERAN is the radio component of GSM / EDGE, along with the network connecting base stations (such as Ater and Abis interfaces) and base station controllers (A interface, etc.). The radio access network represents a component of the GSM network through which telephone calls and packet data are routed from the public switched telephone network (PSTN) and the Internet to user handsets (also known as user terminals or user equipment (UEs)) or out of user handsets. A mobile phone operator's network may include one or more GERANs; in the case of UMTS / GSM networks, the GERAN may be coupled with the UTRAN. In addition, an operator's network may include one or more LTE networks, or one or more other networks. Different network types may use different Radio Access Technologies (RATs) and RANs.

[0041] OFDMA networks can implement radio technologies such as evolved UTRA (E-UTRA), IEEE 802.11, IEEE 802.16, IEEE 802.20, and flash-OFDM. UTRA, E-UTRA, and GSM are part of the Universal Mobile Telecommunication System (UMTS). Specifically, Long Term Evolution (LTE) is a version of UMTS that uses E-UTRA. UTRA, E-UTRA, GSM, UMTS, and LTE are described in documents provided by an organization called the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), while cdma2000 is described in documents provided by an organization called 3rd Generation Partnership Project 2 (3GPP2). These different radio technologies and standards are known or under development. For example, 3GPP is a collaboration between telecommunications associations aimed at defining a globally applicable third-generation (3G) mobile phone specification. 3GPP LTE is a 3GPP project aimed at improving the UMTS mobile phone standard. 3GPP can define specifications for next-generation mobile networks, mobile systems, and mobile devices. This disclosure may describe certain patterns with reference to LTE, 4G, or 5G NR technologies; however, this description is not intended to be limited to a particular technology or application, and one or more patterns described with reference to one technology may be understood to be applicable to another technology. Furthermore, one or more patterns of this disclosure may relate to shared access to radio spectrum between networks using different radio access technologies or radio spatial interfaces.

[0042] 5G networks take into account diverse deployments, diverse spectrum, and diverse services and devices that can be implemented using a unified OFDM-based air interface. To achieve these goals, in addition to developing new radio technologies for 5G NR networks, further enhancements to LTE and LTE-A are also considered. 5G NR will be able to extend to provide coverage for: (1) massive Internet of Things (IoT) with ultra-high density (e.g., ~1M nodes / km²), ultra-low complexity (e.g., ~10 bits / second), ultra-low energy consumption (e.g., ~10+ years of battery life) and deep coverage capable of reaching challenging locations; (2) mission-critical controls with robust security to protect sensitive personal, financial, or confidential information, ultra-high reliability (e.g., ~99.9999% reliability), ultra-low latency (e.g., ~1 millisecond, ms) and users with wide mobility or lack thereof; and (3) enhanced mobile broadband, including extremely high capacity (e.g., ~10 Tbps / km²), extreme data rates (e.g., multi-Gbps rates, 100+ Mbps user experience rates) and deep insights with advanced discovery and optimization.

[0043] Devices, networks, and systems can be configured to communicate via one or more portions of the electromagnetic spectrum. The electromagnetic spectrum is typically subdivided into various classes, bands, channels, etc., based on frequency or wavelength. In 5G NR, two initial operating bands have been identified as the frequency range names FR1 (410 MHz – 7.125 GHz) and FR2 (24.25 GHz – 52.6 GHz). The frequencies between FR1 and FR2 are generally referred to as midband frequencies. Although a portion of FR1 is greater than 6 GHz, FR1 is frequently referred to in various documents and articles as the (interchangeable) “sub-6 GHz” band, and will be referred to as “sub-7 GHz” in this document. Similar naming issues sometimes occur with FR2, although it includes frequencies outside the extremely high frequency (EHF) band (30 GHz – 300 GHz) that is recognized as a “millimeter wave” band by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), FR2 is frequently referred to in documents and articles as the (interchangeable) “millimeter wave” (millimeter wave).

[0044] In light of the above, unless otherwise specified, it should be understood that, if used herein, the term "sub-7 GHz" or similar terms can broadly refer to frequencies less than 7 GHz, within FR1, or including midband frequencies. Furthermore, unless otherwise specified, it should be understood that, if used herein, the term "millimeter wave" or similar terms can broadly refer to frequencies that can include midband frequencies, within FR2, or within the EHF band.

[0045] 5G NR devices, networks, and systems can be implemented using optimized waveform features based on OFDM. These features can include scalable digitization and transmission time intervals (TTIs); a general, flexible framework for effectively multiplexing services and features through dynamic, low-latency time division duplex (TDD) or frequency division duplex (FDD) designs; and advanced wireless technologies such as massive MIMO, robust millimeter-wave transmission, advanced channel coding, and device-centric mobility. The scalability of digitization in 5G NR, along with the expansion of subcarrier spacing, can effectively address the operation of diverse services across diverse spectrum and deployments. For example, in various outdoor and mega-coverage deployments implemented with FDD or TDD below 3 GHz, subcarrier spacing can occur, for example, at 15 kHz over bandwidths such as 1, 5, 10, and 20 MHz. For various other outdoor and small-cell coverage deployments of TDD above 3 GHz, subcarrier spacing can occur at 30 kHz over an 80 / 100 MHz bandwidth. For various other indoor broadband implementations using the unlicensed portion of the 5 GHz band for TDD, subcarrier spacing can occur at 60 kHz over a 160 MHz bandwidth. Finally, for various deployments transmitting with millimeter-wave components over 28 GHz TDD, subcarrier spacing can occur at 120 kHz over a 500 MHz bandwidth.

[0046] 5G NR's scalable digitization enables scalable TTIs to meet diverse latency and quality of service (QoS) requirements. For example, shorter TTIs can be used for low latency and high reliability, while longer TTIs can be used for higher spectral efficiency. Effective multiplexing of long and short TTIs allows for transmission to begin at symbol boundaries. 5G NR also envisions self-contained integrated subframe designs with uplink or downlink scheduling information, data, and acknowledgments. Self-contained integrated subframes support communication in unlicensed or contention-based shared spectrum scenarios, with adaptive uplink or downlink that can be flexibly configured on a per-cell basis to dynamically switch between uplink and downlink to meet current traffic demands.

[0047] For clarity, certain aspects of the apparatus and technology of the present invention may be described with reference to an example 5G NR implementation or in a 5G-centric manner, and the term 5G is used as an illustrative example in various sections described below; however, the description of the present invention is not intended to be limited to 5G applications.

[0048] Furthermore, it should be understood that, in operation, wireless communication networks adapted according to the concepts herein can operate with any combination of licensed or unlicensed spectrum, depending on load and availability. Therefore, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the systems, apparatuses, and methods described herein can be applied to many other communication systems and applications beyond the specific examples provided.

[0049] While various forms and implementations are described in this application by way of example, those skilled in the art will understand that additional implementations and use cases can arise in many different arrangements and scenarios. The innovations described herein can be implemented in many different platform types, devices, systems, shapes, sizes, and packaging arrangements. For example, implementation or use can be via devices integrating chip-level implementations or other non-modular component-based devices (e.g., end-user devices, vehicles, communication devices, computing devices, industrial devices, retail or purchasing devices, medical devices, AI-enabled devices, etc.). While some examples may or may not be specific to a particular use case or application, the broad applicability of the described innovations can be observed. The scope of implementation can range from chip-level or modular components to non-modular, non-chip-level implementations, and further to aggregated, distributed, or original equipment manufacturer (OEM) devices or systems incorporating one or more of the described forms. In some practical settings, devices incorporating the described forms and features may also necessarily include additional components and features required for implementation and practice of the forms. The aim is that the innovations described herein can be implemented in a variety of ways, including large or small devices, chip-level components, multi-component systems (e.g., radio frequency (RF) chains, communication interfaces, processors), distributed layouts, and end-user equipment of different sizes, shapes, and configurations.

[0050] Figure 1 is a block diagram illustrating details of an example wireless communication system according to one or more configurations. The wireless communication system may include a wireless network 100. For example, wireless network 100 may include a 5G wireless network. As will be understood by those skilled in the art, the components appearing in Figure 1 may have corresponding counterparts in other network arrangements, including, for example, cellular network arrangements and non-cellular network arrangements (e.g., device-to-device, point-to-point, or ad hoc network arrangements).

[0051] The wireless network 100 illustrated in Figure 1 includes a plurality of base stations 105 and other network entities. A base station can be a station communicating with a UE and can also be referred to as an evolved node B (eNB), a next-generation eNB (gNB), an access point, etc. Each base station 105 can provide communication coverage for a specific geographic area. In 3GPP, the term "cell" can refer to this specific geographic coverage area of ​​a base station or base station subsystem serving a coverage area, depending on the context in which the term is used. In the implementation of wireless network 100 herein, base stations 105 can be associated with the same operator or different operators (e.g., wireless network 100 may include multiple operator wireless networks). Furthermore, in the implementation of wireless network 100 herein, base stations 105 can provide wireless communication using one or more frequencies (e.g., one or more bands of licensed spectrum, unlicensed spectrum, or combinations thereof) that are the same as those of neighboring cells. In some examples, an individual base station 105 or UE 115 can be operated by more than one network operating entity. In other examples, each base station 105 and UE 115 may be operated by a single network operating entity. Base station 105 or UE 115, or other equipment communicating on wireless network 100 (e.g., customer premises equipment, CPE) may implement embodiments of the receiver circuitry described herein.

[0052] Base stations can provide communication coverage for megacells, small cells (such as picocells or femtocells), or other types of cells. Megacells typically cover a relatively large geographic area (e.g., a radius of several kilometers) and allow unlimited access for UEs with service subscriptions from network providers. Small cells, such as picocells, typically cover a relatively small geographic area and allow unlimited access for UEs with service subscriptions from network providers. Small cells, such as femtocells, also typically cover a relatively small geographic area (e.g., a home) and, in addition to unlimited access, provide restricted access through UEs associated with the femtocell (e.g., UEs in a closed subscriber group (CSG), UEs of users in a home, etc.). A base station used for a megacell can be referred to as a megabase station. A base station used for a small cell can be referred to as a small cell base station, picocell, femtocell, or home base station. In the example shown in Figure 1, base stations 105d and 105e are ordinary megabase stations, while base stations 105a-105c are megabase stations with one of three dimensions (3D), full dimension (FD), or massive MIMO. Base stations 105a-105c utilize their high-dimensional MIMO capabilities to increase coverage and capacity using 3D beamforming in elevation and azimuth beamforming. Base station 105f is a small cell base station that can serve as a home node or portable access point. A base station can support one or more (e.g., two, three, four, etc.) cells.

[0053] Wireless network 100 can support synchronous or asynchronous operation. For synchronous operation, base stations can have similar frame timings, and transmissions from different base stations can be roughly aligned in time. For asynchronous operation, base stations can have different frame timings, and transmissions from different base stations may be inconsistent in time. In some scenarios, the network can be enabled or configured to handle dynamic switching between synchronous and asynchronous operation.

[0054] UE 115 is distributed throughout the wireless network 100, and each UE can be fixed or mobile. It should be understood that although mobile devices are commonly referred to as UEs in standards and specifications issued by 3GPP, such devices may be otherwise referred to by those skilled in the art as mobile station (MS), subscriber station, mobile unit, subscriber unit, radio unit, remote unit, mobile device, radio device, wireless communication device, remote device, mobile subscriber station, access terminal (AT), mobile terminal, radio terminal, remote terminal, mobile phone, terminal, user agent, mobile client, client, gaming device, augmented reality device, vehicle component, vehicle equipment or vehicle module, or some other suitable term. In this document, a “mobile” device or UE does not necessarily have mobility and may be stationary. Some non-limiting examples of mobile devices may include implementations of one or more of UE 115, including mobile phones, cellular phones, smartphones, session initiation protocol (SIP) phones, wireless local loop (WLL) stations, laptops, personal computers (PCs), notebooks, power-efficient smartphones, tablets, and personal digital assistants (PDAs). Mobile devices can also be IoT or “Internet of Everything” (IoE) devices (such as cars or other vehicles, satellite radios, global positioning system (GPS) devices, global navigation satellite system (GNSS) devices, logistics controllers, drones, multi-rotor aircraft, quadcopters, smart energy or security devices, solar panels or solar arrays, municipal lighting, water or other infrastructure), industrial automation and enterprise equipment, consumer and wearable devices (such as glasses, wearable cameras, smartwatches, health or fitness trackers), mammalian implants, gesture tracking devices, medical devices, digital audio players (e.g., MP3 players), cameras, game consoles, etc.), and digital home or smart home devices (such as home audio, video and multimedia equipment, appliances, sensors, vending machines, smart lighting, home security systems, smart meters, etc.). In one instance, the UE can be a device that includes a Universal Integrated Circuit Card (UICC).In another configuration, the UE can be a device that does not include a UICC. In some configurations, a UE without a UICC can also be referred to as an IoE device. The UEs 115a-115d illustrated in Figure 1 are examples of mobile smartphone-type devices accessing the wireless network 100. The UE can also be a machine specifically configured for connecting communications, including machine-type communication (MTC), enhanced MTC (eMTC), narrowband IoT (NB-IoT), etc. The UEs 115e-115k illustrated in Figure 1 are examples of various machines configured for accessing communications on the wireless network 100.

[0055] Mobile devices such as UE 115 can communicate with any type of base station, whether it is a gigabit base station, a pico base station, a femtobase station, a repeater, etc. In Figure 1, the communication link (represented by lightning) indicates the radio transmission between the UE and the serving base station (which is the base station designated to serve the UE on the downlink or uplink), or the expected transmission between base stations and the backhaul transmission between base stations. In some scenarios, the UE can operate as a base station or other network node. Backhaul communication between base stations of the wireless network 100 can occur using wired or wireless communication links.

[0056] In the operation of wireless network 100, base stations 105a-105c use 3D beamforming and coordinated space technologies such as coordinated multipoint (CoMP) or multi-connectivity to serve UEs 115a and 115b. A megabase 105d performs backhaul communication with base stations 105a-105c and small cell base station 105f. Megabase 105d also transmits multicast services subscribed to and received by UEs 115c and 115d. Such multicast services may include mobile television or streaming video, or other services for providing community information, such as weather emergencies or alerts (such as amber or grey alerts).

[0057] Some implemented wireless networks 100 support mission-critical communication via ultra-reliable and redundant links for mission-critical devices, such as UE 115e as a drone. Redundant communication links with UE 115e include those from gigabit base stations 105d and 105e, and small cell base station 105f. Other machine-type devices (such as UE 115f (thermometer), UE 115g (smart meter), and UE 115h (wearable device)) can communicate directly with base stations (such as small cell base station 105f and gigabit base station 105e) via wireless network 100, or in a multi-hop configuration by communicating with another user equipment that forwards its information to the network, such as UE 115f transmitting temperature measurement information to smart meter UE 115g, which then reports the temperature measurement information to the network via small cell base station 105f. Wireless network 100 can also provide additional network efficiency through dynamic, low-latency TDD or low-latency FDD communication, such as in vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) mesh networks between UEs 115i-115k communicating with the giant base station 105e.

[0058] Figure 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of base station 105 and UE 115 according to one or more configurations. Base station 105 and UE 115 can be any of the base station and UE in Figure 1. For a restricted association scenario (as mentioned above), base station 105 can be small cell base station 105f in Figure 1, while UE 115 can be UE 115c or 115d operating in the service area of ​​base station 105f. In order to access small cell base station 105f, the UE will be included in the list of accessible UEs for small cell base station 105f. Base station 105 can also be some other type of base station. As shown in Figure 2, base station 105 can be equipped with antennas 234a to 234t, while UE 115 can be equipped with antennas 252a to 252r to facilitate wireless communication.

[0059] At base station 105, transmitter processor 220 can receive data from data source 212 and control information from controller 240, such as a processor. The control information may be for physical broadcast channel (PBCH), physical control format indicator channel (PCFICH), physical hybrid-ARQ (automatic repeat request) indicator channel (PHICH), physical downlink control channel (PDCCH), enhanced physical downlink control channel (EPDCCH), MTC physical downlink control channel (MPDCCH), etc. The data may be for physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH), etc. Furthermore, transmitter processor 220 can process (e.g., encode and symbol mapping) the data and control information to obtain data symbols and control symbols respectively. Transmit processor 220 can also generate reference symbols (e.g., for primary synchronization signals (PSS) and secondary synchronization signals (SSS)) and cell-specific reference signals. Where applicable, transmit (TX) MIMO processor 230 can perform spatial processing (e.g., precoding) on ​​data symbols, control symbols, or reference symbols, and can provide output symbol streams to modulators (MODs) 232a to 232t. For example, spatial processing performed on data symbols, control symbols, or reference symbols may include precoding. Each modulator 232 can process the corresponding output symbol stream (e.g., for OFDM, etc.) to obtain an output sample stream. Each modulator 232 can additionally or alternatively process (e.g., convert to analog, amplify, filter, and upconvert) the output sample stream to obtain a downlink signal. The downlink signals from modulators 232a to 232t can be transmitted via antennas 234a to 234t, respectively.

[0060] At UE 115, antennas 252a to 252r can receive downlink signals from base station 105 and can provide the received signals to demodulators (DEMODs) 254a to 254r respectively. Each demodulator 254 can adjust (e.g., filter, amplify, downconvert, and digitize) the corresponding received signal to obtain an input sample. Each demodulator 254 can further process the input sample (e.g., for OFDM, etc.) to obtain received symbols. Where applicable, MIMO detector 256 can obtain received symbols from demodulators 254a to 254r, perform MIMO detection on the received symbols, and provide the detected symbols. Receiver processor 258 can process (e.g., demodulate, deinterleave, and decode) the detected symbols, provide decoded data for UE 115 to data sink 260, and provide decoding control information to controller 280 (such as a processor).

[0061] On the uplink, at UE 115, transmit processor 264 can receive and process data from data source 262 (e.g., for the physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH)) and control information from controller 280 (e.g., for the physical uplink control channel (PUCCH)). Furthermore, transmit processor 264 can generate reference symbols for the reference signal. If applicable, the symbols from transmit processor 264 can be pre-encoded by TX MIMO processor 266, further processed by modulators 254a to 254r (e.g., for SC-FDM, etc.), and transmitted to base station 105. At base station 105, if applicable, the uplink signal from UE 115 can be received by antenna 234, processed by demodulator 232, detected by MIMO detector 236, and further processed by receive processor 238 to obtain decoded data and control information transmitted by UE 115. The receiver processor 238 can provide decoded data to the data collection unit 239 and provide decoded control information to the controller 240.

[0062] Controllers 240 and 280 can direct operations at base station 105 and UE 115, respectively. Controller 240 or other processors and modules at base station 105 or controller 280 or other processors and modules at UE 115 can execute or direct the execution of various processes within the device and / or wireless network. Memory 242 and 282 can store data and program code from base station 105 and UE 115, respectively. Scheduler 244 can schedule the UE for data transmission on the downlink or uplink.

[0063] In some cases, UE 115 and base station 105 may operate in a shared radio spectrum band, which may include licensed or unlicensed (e.g., contested) spectrum. In the unlicensed frequency portion of the shared radio spectrum band, UE 115 or base station 105 may routinely perform media sensing procedures to compete for access to the spectrum. For example, UE 115 or base station 105 may perform a "listen-before-transmitting" (LBT) procedure (such as clear channel assessment, CCA) before communication to determine if a shared channel is available. In some implementations, CCA may include an energy detection procedure to determine if any other active transmissions are occurring. For example, the device may infer that a change in the received signal strength indicator (RSSI) of the power meter indicates that the channel is occupied. Specifically, signal power concentrated in a bandwidth and exceeding a predetermined noise threshold may indicate another radio transmitter. CCA may also include detection indicating a specific sequence of channel usage. For example, another device may transmit a specific preamble before transmitting a data sequence. In some cases, LBT procedures may include adjusting the back-off window of a radio node based on the amount of energy detected on the channel or on acknowledgment / negative-acknowledgment (ACK / NACK) feedback for packets transmitted by itself as a collision proxy.

[0064] While the above description pertains to UE 115 and base station 105, other configurations are possible. For example, device 105 may represent a second UE, such as when two UEs communicate directly without transmitting signals through a base station. In some such examples, scheduler 244 is omitted. In other examples, such as when two base stations communicate via backhaul radio, UE 115 may represent a second base station. In some such examples, a scheduler is included in device 115.

[0065] Wireless devices (such as those described above in Figures 1 and 2) can be configured with reconfigurable receivers and / or RFFEs, which can improve the ability to extract information from wireless signals during processing. The mixer and receiver configurations described in the embodiments herein can be used as demodulators DEMOD 232a, 232t, 254a, and / or 254r in the wireless devices shown in Figures 1 and 2. Part of the improvement is achieved by configuring the receiver in mixer-priority mode to reduce interference from interfering signals. Interference is an unwanted signal component whose amplitude may be much higher than the desired signal component and may be close to the desired signal component in frequency. For example, interference signals may be present when multiple wireless communication systems coexist (such as 5G signals coexisting with Wi-Fi signals, 5G signals coexisting with 4G signals, or 5G millimeter-wave IF signals coexisting with 5G sub-7 GHz signals). For example, interference may occur when signals from the same communication system coexist on different carriers (such as 5G signals on one carrier coexisting with 5G signals on another). When the communication system supports carrier aggregation, where devices simultaneously transmit and / or receive multiple carriers, interference problems increase. Interference problems are further amplified when different RF signals are processed on the same integrated circuit (IC). Mixer-priority configuration allows RF input signals with different carriers and / or technologies to be processed in a single-chip IC, for example, by using mixer-priority configuration for 5G sub-7 GHz RF signals, but allows the receiver to be reconfigured to amplifier-priority configuration to process 5G millimeter-wave RF signals.

[0066] Figure 3 is a block diagram illustrating a circuit with reconfigurable capability for switching between mixer priority and amplifier priority, according to one or more configurations. Radio frequency (RF) circuitry 300 may include a radio frequency front-end (RFFE) 310 coupled to an antenna 302 via an antenna port. Antenna 302 may be an example of antenna 234 or 252. RFFE 310 may include a receive path and a transmit path, and may share one or more components between the receive and transmit paths. In one example, RFFE 310 may include a filter 312 and an amplifier 314 (such as a low-noise amplifier (LNA)) in the receive path. RFFE 310 may include a filter 316 and a power amplifier 318 in the transmit path. RFFE may also include a mixer (not shown) and / or other components not shown. The components of RFFE 310 may be implemented as discrete components, for example, they may be coupled to a printed circuit board (PCB) in UE 115. In some examples, RFFE 310 is implemented on a single IC or chip or in a single module. RFFE 310 is coupled to transceiver 320. The receive path of transceiver 320 may include amplifier 322 (such as a low-noise amplifier (LNA)), mixer 324, and / or baseband processing circuitry 326. Signals can be evaluated in detection circuitry 328, which can be configured to detect the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and / or detect the presence of interference in the signal. Although detection circuitry 328 is shown as receiving signals in the baseband domain, it may also, or alternatively, monitor the conditions of RF input signals to transceiver 320 and / or to RFFE 310. In some embodiments, transceiver 320 is configured to support carrier aggregation (CA) by replicating portions and / or the entire receive path, so that each path can handle different carriers received simultaneously. For example, LNA 322, mixer 324, and baseband processing circuitry 326 may be repeated in several receive paths 340A, 340B, ..., 340N. Multiple receive paths 340A-N can also be used to process the in-phase channel (I-channel) and the quadrature channel (Q-channel) separately in a receiver configured for quadrature modulation. In some examples, RFFE 310 and transceiver 320 are included in modulator / demodulator 232 or 254. In some examples, detection circuitry 328 is included in one or more of processors 220, 238, 258, 264 and / or controller 240 or 280. In some examples, transceiver 320 is implemented in a single chip or IC, for example, in a transceiver chip. LNA 322 and mixer 324 can (at least selectively) be coupled to chip inputs (e.g., pins on the chip) and configured to receive RF input signals (e.g., via chip inputs).In some examples, the detection circuit 328 is not included in the single chip or circuit, but may be included, for example, in a modem or processor. In some examples, the RFFE 310 couples the transceiver 320 via an interconnect, such as a cable or trace on a PCB on which both the RFFE 310 and the transceiver 320 are disposed. The interconnect can couple from the output of the RFFE 310 (e.g., chip, module, or discrete component output) to the chip input of the transceiver 320. The transceiver 320 may also include one or more transmit paths (not shown).

[0067] Circuit 300 can be configurable to support different receive configurations. For example, circuit 300 can be reconfigured to operate in a mixer-priority configuration or an amplifier-priority configuration. In the mixer-priority configuration, the RF input signal can be down-converted to baseband without amplification outside of RFFE 310, such as no amplification of the RF signal within transceiver 320. In the amplifier-priority configuration, the RF signal can be amplified in transceiver 320 before down-conversion to baseband, so that in some embodiments the RF signal is amplified in both RFFE 310 and transceiver 320. Reconfiguration between mixer-priority and amplifier-priority configurations can be provided by switches, multiplexers, relays, or other components in the receive path of circuit 300 that can change the receive path through RFFE 310 and / or transceiver 320. For example, switches 332 and 334 in RFFE 310 can be configured in parallel with filter 312 and amplifier 314, respectively. When switched on, switches 332 and 334 can respectively form paths around filter 312 and amplifier 314, thereby allowing filter 312 and / or amplifier 314 to be disabled, such as by being turned off or otherwise bypassed. Reconfiguration of circuit 300 can also be supported by switches 336 and 338 of transceiver 320. Switches 336 and 338 can be switched to redirect the reception path of the RF input signal through or around amplifier 322. By controlling one or both of switches 336 and 338, switches 336 and / or 338 can be configured to switch the receiver at least partially between an amplifier-priority configuration and a mixer-priority configuration. In the mixer-priority configuration, switch 336 can be switched on, while switch 338 can be switched off, so that the RF input signal received at transceiver 320 is passed to mixer 324 without first being amplified within transceiver 320. In some embodiments, amplifier 314 can be disabled, and switch 334 can be switched on to remove all amplifiers of the RF signal in circuit 300 before processing at mixer 324. In an amplifier-preferred configuration, switch 336 is switched off and switch 338 is switched on to guide the RF signal through LNA 322 before processing in mixer 324.

[0068] The configuration of circuit 300 can be controlled by detection circuit 328 and / or other circuitry or processing components. For example, detection circuit 328 may have one or more control signals coupled to circuitry (such as switches 332, 334, 336, and / or 338) for reconfiguring circuit 300. Detection circuit 328 can be configured to detect predetermined criteria for switching between mixer-priority and amplifier-priority configurations. Example criteria include the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the baseband signal, a threshold SNR level, detection of interference, whether carrier aggregation (CA) is initiated (where the aggressor signal is predictable, as determined by some evaluation criteria), and / or information reported from a channel quality indicator (CQI). In some embodiments, a single control signal output by detection circuit 328 switches 332, 334, 336, and 338 toggle between mixer-priority and amplifier-priority configurations. In some embodiments, the detection circuit 328 may output several control signals to switches 332, 334, 336 and 338, which may allow the detection circuit 328 to switch between more than two configurations of the circuit 300.

[0069] The criteria used for detection circuit 328 can be predetermined before receiving the RF input signal at transceiver 320. For example, detection circuit 328 may have one or more rules pre-programmed for evaluating one or more criteria of the signal. As another example, detection circuit 328 may be configured to have different criteria for evaluating the signal during operation of circuit 300. In some embodiments, detection circuit 328 may apply different criteria on a context-based basis, such as the location of the wireless device, the environment surrounding the wireless device, and / or the operating mode of the wireless device. For example, when the SNR is higher than a certain threshold SNR value, detection circuit 328 may switch circuit 300 to a mixer-preferred configuration, such as by closing switch 336 and opening switches 334 and 338, to provide a good SNR without LNA power consumption in transceiver 320. As another example, when the SNR is higher than a second threshold SNR value (e.g., it may be higher than some threshold SNR values), the detection circuit 328 can close switch 334 and disable amplifier 314 to extend the mixer-priority configuration to RFFE 310 in the presence of a strong RF input signal. When the transmit signal through the transmit path is off or below the signal level threshold and the RF input signal is strong, filter 312 can be bypassed by closing switch 332, thus avoiding the loss of filter 312. As a further example, the presence of a large interference signal detected by the detection circuit 328 can cause the detection circuit 328 to configure circuit 300 in a mixer-priority configuration to provide high linearity performance and reduce interference from the interference signal. In some embodiments, due to the high linearity performance, this configuration may include a lower-quality filter 312 in RFFE 310 or omit filter 312 from RFFE 310.

[0070] Detection circuit 328 may include logic circuitry for performing any of the determinations and / or controls described herein. For example, circuit 328 may include logic circuitry for determining whether a criterion for switching to a mixer-preferred configuration for the receiver is met; determining whether a second criterion for switching to an amplifier-preferred configuration for the receiver is met; configuring the RFFE and receiver to a mixer-preferred configuration, such as by operating switches 332, 334, 336, and / or 338; configuring the RFFE and receiver to an amplifier-preferred configuration, such as by operating switches 332, 334, 336, and / or 338; determining whether a third criterion for reconfiguring the RFFE is met; determining the desired gain value for the receiver's processing path; determining whether the RF input signal includes a carrier aggregation (CA) signal; and / or configuring gain control elements to obtain the desired gain value by generating control signals. The logic circuitry may control other elements illustrated in the embodiments disclosed herein, including switches, gain control elements, filters, amplifiers, LNAs, mixers, and / or baseband processing circuitry.

[0071] A method for reconfiguring RF circuitry is described with reference to FIG4. FIG4 is a flowchart illustrating a method for operating receiver circuitry having reconfigurable capability for switching between mixer priority and amplifier priority, according to one or more configurations. Method 400 may begin at block 402, processing the RF input signal in an LNA-priority configuration. The RF input signal may include one or more of 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G sub-7 GHz, or 5G millimeter-wave RF signals. The processing of the RF input signal may be preset to an amplifier-priority configuration until certain criteria are met to switch to another configuration. The amplifier-priority processing at block 402 may be achieved in other ways than the preset configuration, such as by detecting certain criteria for using the amplifier-priority configuration. The processing at block 402 may include filtering, amplifying, and / or down-converting to an intermediate frequency (IF) signal and / or a baseband (BB) signal. In some examples, a millimeter-wave RF signal is received at antenna 302 and down-converted to an IF signal in RFFE 310 according to the processing of block 402, and the IF signal is processed in transceiver 320 in an amplifier-priority configuration. The output of the processing of block 402 may include a baseband signal, which may be processed by digital logic circuitry to generate a data stream, the data stream including user data for edge and / or control of data transmission. The user data may be extracted from the data stream and processed to be displayed as content to the user of the wireless device, such as by displaying images received via the wireless network and / or displaying video received via the wireless network.

[0072] Method 400 may include, at block 404, determining that a criterion is met to switch to a mixer-preferred configuration. This determination may include determining whether the signal has a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) that crosses a certain threshold. This determination may also, or alternatively, include determining the presence of an interfering signal that may interfere with the desired signal and / or determining the presence of an interfering signal that may potentially interfere with the desired signal and / or determining whether the channel conditions indicated in the Channel Quality Indicator (CQI) report cross certain thresholds.

[0073] At block 406, the LNA can be disabled and the RF input signal can be processed via a mixer-priority configuration. This could include receiving a millimeter-wave RF signal at antenna 302, down-converting it to an IF signal in RFFE 310, and processing the IF signal in a mixer-priority configuration in transceiver 320. When meeting the criteria for a recommended mixer-priority configuration that can provide improved signal processing for the RF input signal, the circuitry can be configured to have a receive path that processes the RF input signal in the transceiver by amplifying it in a mixer (e.g., inside the transceiver or both the RFFE and the transceiver) by passing the signal directly to the receiver. For example, a switch could be configured to change the receive path to bypass one or more amplifiers before the down-conversion mixer. Components bypassed in the receive path in the new configuration of block 406 can be disabled to reduce power consumption. In some embodiments, gain control can be performed within the mixer-priority configuration, with gain control elements coupled in the processing path before the mixer. Processing of the RF input signal at block 406 may include adjusting one or more gain control elements in the mixer priority configuration processing path.

[0074] The configuration of block 406 can be maintained until a signal change causes the criteria of block 404 to no longer be met, until a signal change causes the second set of criteria to be met, and / or until a predetermined time period expires. For example, method 400 may further include: determining whether a second criterion is met for switching to an amplifier-priority configuration of the receiver, and when the second criterion is met: configuring the receiver in an amplifier-priority configuration where the second mixer is a dummy mixer; and returning at block 402 to processing the RF input signal in the receiver in the amplifier-priority configuration via the first mixer. A single-balanced mixer topology with a dummy mixer is considered in this example. In some examples, the mixer used to process the RF input signal in the mixer-priority configuration is configured as a dummy mixer in the amplifier-priority configuration. During operation of the wireless device, the receiver can continue to reconfigure between amplifier-priority and mixer-priority configurations based on the assigned carrier configuration in the wireless network, the available communication technologies in the wireless network, and / or the channel conditions in the wireless network.

[0075] In some embodiments, the processing of blocks 402 and 406 can be performed in parallel by processing at least a portion of the RF input signal in amplifier-priority configuration and mixer-priority configuration. For example, when the RF input signal is determined to include a carrier aggregation (CA) signal, the method may include processing at least a first carrier of the CA signal in amplifier-priority configuration; and processing at least a second carrier of the CA signal in mixer-priority configuration.

[0076] In some embodiments, the receiver can be configured with a single-balanced mixer featuring a phasor mixer. When such a mixer design exists, the phasor mixer can be reconfigured between an amplifier-priority configuration and a mixer-priority configuration to operate as the master mixer, and the corresponding master mixer is reconfigured to operate as a phasor mixer. Using a phasor mixer in this configuration separates the functionality of the degradation resistor (RRF) between the LNA-priority and mixer-priority configurations. Therefore, the amplifier-priority configuration can utilize the optimal value of the RRF to achieve its linearity, while the mixer-priority configuration can achieve good input impedance matching through a tunable mixer-priority input switch and a gain control element dedicated to this configuration. The flowchart in Figure 5 and the example circuits in Figures 6A and 6B illustrate embodiments involving the reconfiguration of the phasor mixer.

[0077] Figure 5 is a flowchart illustrating a method for operating receiver circuitry with reconfigurable capability to use a dummy mixer when configured in a mixer-priority configuration, based on one or more state diagrams. Method 500 may begin at block 502, processing the RF input signal in an amplifier-priority configuration using a first mixer. The first mixer may be referred to as the main mixer and is coupled to a dummy mixer that is not activated when processing the RF input signal in an amplifier-priority configuration. At block 504, criteria such as the SNR value of the RF input signal or the presence of interference on the RF input signal may be determined. At block 506, it is determined whether criteria such as whether the SNR exceeds a threshold or whether interference is detected in the RF input signal are met. If no criteria are met, method 500 continues processing the RF input signal in an amplifier-priority configuration at block 502. If the criterion is met at block 506, method 500 continues to block 508 for reconfiguration and processing of the RF input signal in a mixer-priority configuration using a second mixer, such as the one used as a dummy mixer in the amplifier-priority configuration of block 502. In the mixer-priority configuration of block 508, the mixer used as a dummy mixer in the amplifier-priority configuration of block 502 is reconfigured as a master mixer, and the master mixer in the amplifier-priority configuration of block 502 is reconfigured as a dummy mixer. Reconfiguring a mixer as a master mixer or a dummy mixer can involve changing which of the two coupled mixers receives the RF input signal and / or whether the output is further processed by baseband circuitry. The baseband processing circuitry can be configured to further process the output of the mixer currently configured as a master mixer in block 502 or block 508.

[0078] Figures 6A and 6B illustrate example circuits for reconfiguring a first and second mixer for amplifier-priority and mixer-priority configurations between a main mixer and a dummy mixer. Figure 6A is a circuit diagram illustrating a single-balanced mixer with a dummy mixer configured in an amplifier-priority configuration according to one or more configurations. Circuit 600 receives an RF input signal at input port 602 from an RFFE (e.g., RFFE 310). The RF input signal is controlled by switches 604A and 604B to pass through an amplifier (e.g., an LNA) 606 or a matching network 608. Matching network 608 may be an optional component in a mixer-priority configuration. In some configurations, input impedance matching in a mixer-priority configuration can be achieved by a tunable mixer-priority input switch 604B and / or gain control element 614 (which can be implemented using an adjustable transistor). In some examples, matching network 608 is positioned between input port 602 and switches 604A, 604B. The outputs of amplifier 606 and / or matching network 608 are controlled by switch 610 and / or gain control transistors 614A and 614B to pass through a first set of mixers 616A and 618A or a second set of mixers 616B and 618B, respectively, corresponding to the I and Q channels. Switches 604A and 604B can be configured, for example, to switch the receiver at least partially between an amplifier-preferred configuration and a mixer-preferred configuration, based on appropriate control signals applied to the transistor gates corresponding to switches 604A and 604B. The outputs of mixers 616A or 616B are further processed in baseband circuitry 620A. The outputs of mixers 618A or 618B are further processed in baseband circuitry 620B. Both mixers 616A and 616B receive two LO(I) signals (e.g., with opposite phases). Similarly, two mixers 618A and 618B receive two LO(Q) signals (e.g., with opposite phases). The LO signal received by mixer 616A can be the same LO signal received by mixer 616B. Similarly, the LO signal received by mixer 618A can be the same LO signal received by mixer 618B. A first path of circuit 600 may include resistor 612 and mixers 616A, 618A, and amplifier 606 in some examples. A second path of circuit 600 may include transistor 614 and mixers 616B, 618B, and matching network 608 and / or switch 604B in some examples. As described above, the term RF input signal in this description may include a signal derived from a millimeter-wave signal received at the antenna. For example, an RF input signal may include a signal having an IF frequency, for example, down-converted from the frequency of a millimeter-wave RF signal received at the antenna. Therefore, a component described as being configured to process RF input signals can thus be configured to process such signals at frequencies other than the frequency at which the signal is received at the antenna.

[0079] In the amplifier-preferred configuration, switches 604A and 604B, as well as 610, are configured as shown in circuit 600 of Figure 6A. Switch 604A is switched to ON (e.g., closed when the switch is binary), switch 604B is switched to OFF, and switch 610 is switched to ON (e.g., closed). The RF input signal from input port 602 passes through amplifier 606 to mixer degradation resistors (RRF) 612A and 612B, to first mixers 616A and 618A, and to baseband processing circuits 620A and 620B. Transistors 614A and 614B can be switched to OFF to effectively disconnect the RF input signal from second mixers 616B and 618B, and the second mixers 616B and 618B are used as dummy mixers. In some embodiments, when processing 5G millimeter-wave RF input signals, circuit 600 can be configured for amplifier-priority operation because millimeter-wave signals experience significant signal loss and require amplification.

[0080] In the mixer-priority configuration, switches 604A-B and 610 are configured as shown in circuit 650 of Figure 6B. Figure 6B is a circuit diagram illustrating a single-balanced mixer with a pseudo-mixer configured in a mixer-priority configuration according to one or more states. Switch 604A is switched off, switch 604B is switched on, and switch 610 is switched off. Mixers 616A and 618A used in the amplifier-priority configuration degrade through resistors RRF 612A and 612B to improve the linearity of the amplifier configuration; however, typical values ​​of RRF may not provide good input impedance matching in the mixer-priority configuration. Therefore, in the mixer-priority configuration, the RF input signal can be routed to mixers 616B and 618B via mixer-priority gain control transistors 614A and 614B. In the mixer-first configuration, mixers 616B and 618B are the master mixers, while mixers 616A and 618A are dummy mixers. By using dummy mixers in this configuration, good input impedance matching can be achieved through the use of tunable mixer input switches 604B and gain control elements 614A. Switching between the master and dummy mixers allows for receiver reconfiguration without negatively impacting the performance of each configuration. The RF input signal from input port 602 passes through an optional matching network 608, to gain control transistors 614A and 614B, to the second mixers 616B and 618B, and to baseband processing circuits 620A and 620B. Transistors 614A and 614B can be used to adjust the gain to adjust the signal strength of the RF input signal before processing in mixers 616B and 618B. For example, the source (e.g., input) of each of transistors 614A and 614B can be selectively coupled to input port 602, the drain (e.g., output) of each of transistors 614A and 614B can be coupled to baseband processing circuits 620A and 620B, and the gate of transistors 614A and 614B can be coupled to, for example, a control signal provided by detection circuit 328 to adjust transistors 614A and 614B. Turning on switch 610 causes the RF input signal to not be processed by the first mixers 616A and 618B, which reconfigures the first mixers 616A and 618A from the master mixer in the amplifier-preferred configuration of FIG. 6A as dummy mixers in the mixer-preferred configuration. The second mixers 616B and 618B are reconfigured from the dummy mixers in the amplifier-preferred configuration of FIG. 6A as master mixers in the mixer-preferred configuration. In some embodiments, when processing 5G sub-7 GHz RF input signals, the receiver can be configured in a mixer-preferred configuration, such as in circuit 650.

[0081] Another embodiment of the circuitry for reconfiguring between mixer-priority and amplifier-priority configurations is shown in Figure 7. Figure 7 is a circuit diagram illustrating a receiver circuit with reconfigurable capabilities, featuring a mixer-priority gain control switch connected in parallel with a mixer degradation resistor (RRF), according to one or more configurations. Circuit 700 can receive an RF input signal at input port 602 via switch 604A or 604B through amplifier 606 or optional matching network 608. The output of amplifier 606 or matching network 608 is provided to two baseband processing circuits 620A and 620B. In this embodiment, mixer-priority gain control switch 714 is coupled in parallel with mixer degradation resistor (RRF) 712. In mixer-priority configuration, because the on-resistance of mixer-priority gain control switches 714 and 724 may be less than that of RRF, mixer-priority gain control switches 714 and 724 are switched on to bypass the degradation resistor RRF. In amplifier-priority configuration, switch 604A is switched on, and switches 604B, 714, and 724 are switched off. This configuration is suitable for single-balanced mixers with RRF but no dummy mixer, depending on the standard and other operating conditions of the RF input signal. This scheme can also be used for double-balanced mixers with RRF. In some embodiments, gain control switches 714 and 724 may also provide input matching with mixer-priority input switch 604B when operating in mixer-priority configuration.

[0082] In some embodiments, as illustrated in FIG8, when a single-balanced mixer (SBM) is used, the switch between the amplifier and the mixer (such as switch 610 in FIG6A) can be removed. FIG8 is a circuit schematic illustrating a single-balanced mixer reconfigurable between mixer priority and amplifier priority according to one or more configurations. Circuit 800 includes a first processing path coupled from LNA 606 to mixer degradation resistors 812A and 812B, to single-balanced mixers (SBM) 816A and 816B, and to downstream baseband processing circuits 620A and 620B. Circuit 800 includes a second processing path coupled from optional matching network 608 to mixer priority gain control switches 814A and 814B, to SBMs 818A and 818B, and to downstream baseband processing circuits 620A and 620B. Switches 604A and 604B are toggled to configure circuit 800 for either amplifier-priority or mixer-priority configuration. In amplifier-priority configuration, when switch 604A is switched on and switch 604B is switched off, circuit 800 operates by routing the RF input signal received at input port 602 to LNA 606, and then to baseband processing circuits 620A and 620B. In mixer-priority configuration, when switch 604A is switched off and switch 604B is switched on, circuit 800 operates by routing the RF input signal to baseband processing circuits 620A and 620B without amplification by LNA 606. In amplifier-priority configuration, SBMs 816A and 816B operate, while SBMs 818A and 818B can be configured as dummy mixers or turned off. In the mixer-first configuration, SBMs 818A and 818B operate, while SBMs 816A and 816B can be configured as dummy mixers or turned off. Unlike Figure 6, where there is a common portion at the output of amplifier 606 in the first and second paths, in Figure 8 the first and second paths are separate before the mixer (e.g., before resistor 612 and transistor 614).

[0083] When multiple completely independent processing paths are available for mixer-priority and amplifier-priority configurations in a receiver, these paths can be used in parallel to process different signals simultaneously. One application of parallel processing of RF signals is for processing carrier aggregation (CA) RF signals where related information is embedded on multiple signals at different carriers. Figure 9 illustrates a circuit diagram of a configuration for processing a carrier aggregation (CA) RF input signal in a receiver that can be reconfigured between mixer-priority and amplifier-priority, according to one or more configurations. In circuit 900, a first processing path for amplifier-priority processing of the RF input signal via LNA 606 sends the amplified RF signal to baseband processing circuits 922A and 920A via mixer degradation resistors 912A and 912B and SBMs 916A and 918A. A second processing path for mixer-prioritizing the RF input signal via an optional matching network 608 transmits the signal to baseband processing circuits 922B and 920B via gain control elements 914A and 914B and SBMs 916B and 918B. SBMs 916A and 918A can receive LO signals that are different (e.g., different frequencies) from the LO signals received by SBMs 916B and 918B. Switches 604A and 604B can switch the first and second processing paths on and off to configure the receiver for amplifier-prioritized or mixer-prioritized processing of the RF input signal. Switches 604A and 604B can be turned on simultaneously to operate the two processing paths in parallel. For example, logic circuitry coupled to switches 604A and 604B (e.g., detection circuitry 328 or other circuitry) can determine that the RF input signal includes a CA signal by monitoring the RF input signal and / or receiving commands from the network, in order to switch to CA operation. The logic circuit can close switches 604A and 604B to pass the RF input signal received at input port 602 through two processing paths. Circuit 900 can process at least one carrier in the CA signal through each processing path. The processing paths can be configured to process one or more specific carriers in the CA signal. For example, when CA operation involves 5G millimeter wave and 5G sub-7 GHz signals, SBMs 916A and 918A can be configured to process one or more carriers for 5G millimeter wave communication, and SBMs 916B and 918B can be configured to process one or more carriers for 5G sub-7 GHz communication.

[0084] Figures 10, 11, and 12 illustrate illustrative examples demonstrating the advantages of a receiver that can be reconfigured between mixer-priority and amplifier-priority configurations. Figure 10 is a diagram illustrating an example RF signal with B1+B3 RF signals that can be advantageously processed, according to one or more configurations. Frequency diagram 1000 illustrates CA reception operation in the B1+B3 band. Interference and B1 transmit leakage can cause cross-modulation distortion (XMD) at the LNA, resulting in loss of the B3 received signal. When operating in these bands, reconfiguring the receiver to switch from amplifier-priority to mixer-priority configuration can improve the likelihood of recovering information from the B3 signal. According to a simulation, TB-IIP3 (TB1) is 10 dBm for amplifier-priority mode, but TB-IIP3 (TB2) is 23 dBm for mixer-priority mode. Figure 11 is a diagram illustrating an example with B2+n2 RF signals that can be advantageously processed, according to one or more configurations. Frequency diagram 1100 illustrates CA receiver operation on the B2+n2 band. B2 operation and n2 transmit leakage can introduce IM3 nonlinearity in the LNA of the receiver, resulting in loss of the n2 received signal. According to a simulation, IIP3 is 8 dBm for amplifier-priority mode, but 20 dBm for mixer-priority mode, for example due to the reduction of IM3 nonlinearity (ΔIM3). Figure 12 is a diagram illustrating an example RF signal with 2.4 GHz WiFi coexistence that can be advantageously handled, based on one or more states. Frequency diagram 1200 illustrates the operation of a wireless device on the B7 band with 2.4 GHz WiFi coexistence. WiFi interference and B7 transmit leakage can introduce IM3 nonlinearity at the LNA of the receiver, resulting in loss of the B7 received signal. According to a simulation, IIP3 is 8 dBm for amplifier-priority mode, but 20 dBm for mixer-priority mode, for example due to the reduction of IM3 nonlinearity (ΔIM3). Mixer-priority configuration can avoid WiFi signal fallback that can occur due to coexistence in amplifier-priority configuration. Each of these examples illustrates the operation in which mixer-priority configuration results in better signal reception and the possibility of extracting the correct data embedded in these signals. Therefore, the flexibility to switch the receiver between amplifier-priority and mixer-priority configurations can improve receiver operation and the user experience of wireless devices.

[0085] As will be understood by those skilled in the art, information and signals can be represented using any of a variety of different technologies and techniques. For example, data, instructions, commands, information, signals, bits, symbols, and chips that may be referenced throughout the foregoing description can be represented by voltage, current, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or particles, light fields or particles, or any combination thereof.

[0086] The components, functional blocks, and modules described herein with respect to Figures 1, 2, and 3 include some or all of processors, electronic devices, hardware devices, electronic components, logic circuits, memory, software code, firmware code, or any combination thereof, as in other examples. Furthermore, the features discussed herein can be implemented via dedicated processor circuitry, via executable instructions, or a combination thereof.

[0087] In one or more embodiments, the technology for supporting wireless communication by processing radio frequency (RF) signals may include additional embodiments, such as any single embodiment or combination of embodiments described below or related to one or more other processes or devices described elsewhere herein. In one or more embodiments, supporting wireless operation may include means having configurable wireless processing paths. Furthermore, the means may perform or operate according to one or more embodiments described below. In some embodiments, the means includes a wireless device, such as a UE. In some embodiments, the means may include at least one processor and memory coupled to the processor. As described in Figures 4 or 5, the processor may be configured to perform the device-related operations described herein. In some other embodiments, in order to cause a computer to perform the device-related operations described herein, the means may include a non-transitory computer-readable medium having program code recorded thereon, and the program code may be executable by a computer. In some embodiments, the means may include one or more components configured to perform the operations described herein. In some embodiments, a method of wireless communication may include performing one or more device-related operations described herein.

[0088] In the first state, the method for operating the wireless device may include: processing an RF input signal in an amplifier-priority configuration in a receiver via a first mixer; determining whether a criterion for switching to a mixer-priority configuration of the receiver is met; and when the determination result is that the criterion is met: configuring the receiver to a mixer-priority configuration, and / or processing the RF input signal in a mixer-priority configuration in the receiver via a second mixer.

[0089] In the second state sample, combined with the first state sample, the steps to determine whether the criteria for switching to mixer-preferred configuration are met include determining whether the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) is above a threshold value.

[0090] In the third state sample, in conjunction with one or more of the first to second state samples, the steps to determine whether the criteria for switching to mixer priority configuration are met include determining whether an interference signal with a signal strength higher than a threshold value is detected in the RF input signal.

[0091] In the fourth state sample, in conjunction with one or more of the first to third state samples, the step of configuring the receiver to a mixer-preferred configuration includes configuring the first mixer as a pseudo mixer.

[0092] In the fifth state sample, in conjunction with one or more of the first to fourth state samples, after configuring the receiver to a mixer-priority configuration, the method may include determining whether a second criterion for switching to an amplifier-priority configuration of the receiver is met; and when the determination result meets the second criterion: configuring the receiver to a second mixer is a pseudo-mixer and / or an amplifier-priority configuration in which the RF input signal is processed in the amplifier-priority configuration of the receiver by the first mixer.

[0093] In the sixth state, in combination with one or more of the first through fifth states, the receiver is configured to have a mixer-preferred configuration that includes an amplifier that bypasses the receiver.

[0094] In the seventh state, combined with one or more of the first to sixth states, the RF input signal is processed in the receiver in a mixer-preferred configuration, including adjusting the gain control element before down-converting the RF input signal in the second mixer.

[0095] In the eighth state, in combination with one or more of the first to seventh states, the receiver is configured as a mixer-preferred configuration including a switching switch to configure the processing path for the RF input signal through the gain control element and the second mixer.

[0096] In the ninth state, combined with one or more of the first to eighth states, the gain control element is adjusted, including the gain control element coupled in parallel with the degradation resistor.

[0097] In the tenth state, in combination with one or more of the first to ninth states, processing the RF input signal by the first mixer includes processing the RF input signal by the first single-balanced mixer (SBM); and / or processing the RF input signal by the second mixer includes processing the RF input signal by the second single-balanced mixer (SBM).

[0098] In the eleventh state sample, in combination with one or more of the first to tenth states, the method includes determining whether the RF input signal includes a carrier aggregation (CA) signal; based on at least one or more criteria including the RF input signal including a CA signal: processing at least a first carrier of the CA signal in an amplifier-preferred configuration by a first mixer and / or processing at least a second carrier of the CA signal in a mixer-preferred configuration by a second mixer.

[0099] In the twelfth state sample, in combination with one or more of the first to eleventh states sample, at least a first carrier for processing CA signals includes processing 5G millimeter-wave RF signals via a first mixer; and / or at least a second carrier for processing CA signals includes processing 5G sub-7 GHz RF signals via a second mixer.

[0100] In the thirteenth state sample, in combination with one or more of the first to twelfth state samples, the method includes: determining whether a second criterion is met while processing the RF input signal in a mixer-preferred configuration in the receiver via a second mixer; and when the determination result is that the second criterion is met, configuring the radio frequency front end (RFFE) as a low-noise amplifier (LNA) that bypasses the RFFE.

[0101] In the fourteenth state sample, in combination with one or more of the first to thirteenth state samples, determining whether the second criterion is met includes: determining that the transmitted signal strength through the RFFE is lower than the first threshold; and / or determining that the received signal strength of the RF input signal through the RFFE is higher than the second threshold.

[0102] In the fifteenth state sample, combined with one or more of the first to fourteenth state samples, the step of configuring the receiver to a mixer-preferred configuration includes closing a switch to couple the RF input signal to a second mixer via a matching network.

[0103] In the sixteenth state sample, in combination with one or more of the first to fifteenth state samples, the step of configuring the receiver to a mixer-preferred configuration includes configuring the impedance of the switch that couples the RF input signal to the second mixer.

[0104] In the seventeenth state, alone or in combination with one or more of the first to sixteenth states, the apparatus having a configurable wireless processing path may include a receiver port for receiving RF input signals; a first mixer coupled to the receiver port; a second mixer coupled to the receiver port; a low-noise amplifier (LNA) coupled between the receiver port and the first mixer; and / or a switch coupled between the receiver port and the LNA, wherein the switch is configured to switch the receiver between an amplifier-preferred configuration and a mixer-preferred configuration at least in part.

[0105] In the eighteenth state, combined with the seventeenth state, the device includes a second switch coupled between the LNA and the first mixer, coupled between the LNA and the second mixer, and configured to switch the first mixer from the main mixer to the pseudo mixer.

[0106] In the nineteenth state, in combination with one of the seventeenth to eighteenth states, the device includes logic circuitry configured to determine whether a criterion for switching between mixer-preferred and amplifier-preferred configurations is met; and to operate a switch based on whether the criterion is met.

[0107] In the twentieth state, combined with one of the seventeenth to nineteenth states, the logic circuit is configured to determine whether the standard is met by determining whether the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the RF input signal is higher than a threshold value.

[0108] In the 21st state sample, combined with one of the 17th to 20th state samples, the logic circuit is configured to determine whether the standard is met by determining whether an interference signal with a signal strength higher than the threshold value is detected in the RF input signal.

[0109] In the 22nd state sample, in conjunction with one of the 17th to 21st state samples, the logic circuit is further configured to determine whether a second criterion for switching to the amplifier-priority configuration of the receiver is met; and when the second criterion is met: configure the receiver to amplifier-priority configuration and / or process the RF input signal in the receiver in amplifier-priority configuration via a first mixer.

[0110] In the 23rd state sample, in combination with one of the 17th to 22nd states, the device includes a receiver radio frequency front-end (RFFE) coupled to the receiver, wherein the RFFE includes: a filter; and a low noise amplifier (LNA), wherein logic circuitry is configured to control at least one of the filter or LNA of the RFFE based on whether a second criterion is met.

[0111] In the 24th state, combined with one of the 17th to 23rd states, the logic circuit is configured to control the RFFE based on determining that the strength of the transmitted signal passing through the RFFE is lower than a first threshold and determining that the strength of the received signal of the RF input signal passing through the RFFE is higher than a second threshold.

[0112] In the 25th state sample, combined with one of the 17th to 24th state samples, the receiver includes an integrated circuit (IC) separate from the RFFE.

[0113] In the 26th state, combined with one of the 17th to 25th states, the switch is configured to switch between mixer-priority and amplifier-priority configurations by bypassing the LNA.

[0114] In the 27th state, combined with one of the 17th to 26th states, the device includes a gain control element coupled to the second mixer and configured to adjust the gain of the RF input signal before down-conversion of the RF input signal in the second mixer.

[0115] In the twenty-eighth state, combined with one of the seventeenth to twenty-seventh states, the device includes a second switch coupled between the LNA and the first mixer, coupled between the LNA and the second mixer, and configured in a mixer-preferred configuration for processing paths of the RF input signal through the gain control element and the second mixer.

[0116] In the twenty-ninth state, combined with one of the seventeenth to twenty-eighth states, the device includes a degradation resistor coupled in parallel with a gain control element.

[0117] In the thirtieth state, in combination with one of the seventeenth to twenty-ninth states, the first mixer includes a single-balanced mixer (SBM), and the second mixer includes a single-balanced mixer (SBM).

[0118] In the thirty-first state, in conjunction with one of the seventeenth to thirtieth states, the switch is configured to initiate a first processing path to the first mixer. The receiver also includes a second switch coupled between the receiver port and the second mixer, wherein the second switch is configured to initiate a second processing path to the second mixer.

[0119] In the thirty-second state, in conjunction with one of the seventeenth to thirty-first states, the device includes logic circuitry coupled to a switch and coupled to a second switch, wherein the logic circuitry is configured to: determine whether an RF input signal includes a carrier aggregation (CA) signal; and when the RF input signal includes a CA signal, operate the switch to process at least a first carrier of the CA signal through a first processing path including an LNA and a first mixer and / or operate the second switch to process at least a second carrier of the CA signal through a second processing path including a second mixer.

[0120] In the thirty-third state, in combination with one of the seventeenth to thirty-second states, the device includes a matching network coupled between the receiver port and the second mixer, and / or a second switch coupled between the receiver port and the matching network, wherein the second switch is configured to at least partially switch the receiver between an amplifier-preferred configuration and a mixer-preferred configuration.

[0121] In the thirty-third state, in conjunction with one of the seventeenth to thirty-third states, the device includes a second switch coupled between the receiver port and the second mixer, wherein the receiver is configured to control the impedance of the second switch to match the input impedance of the second mixer when the receiver is configured in a mixer-priority configuration.

[0122] In the thirty-fourth state, alone or in combination with one of the seventeenth to thirty-fourth states, the apparatus includes a receiver port for receiving RF input signals; a first set of mixers coupled to the receiver port; a second set of mixers coupled to the receiver port; components for configuring the first set of mixers as a master mixer in a first mode, configuring the second set of mixers as a pseudo mixer in a first mode, configuring the first set of mixers as a pseudo mixer in a second mode, and configuring the second set of mixers as a master mixer in a second mode; and / or components for processing baseband signals coupled to the outputs of the first set of mixers and the outputs of the second set of mixers.

[0123] In the thirty-fifth state, combined with one of the seventeenth to thirty-fourth states, the first mode is amplifier priority mode, and the second mode is mixer priority mode.

[0124] In the thirty-sixth state, combined with one of the seventeenth to thirty-fifth states, the configuration components include components for coupling only one of the first and second mixers to the RF input signal at a time.

[0125] In the thirty-seventh state, combined with one of the seventeenth to thirty-sixth states, the first set of mixers is in a path coupled to the amplifier, and the second set of mixers is in a path that includes multiple gain control elements.

[0126] In the thirty-eighth state, alone or in combination with one of the seventeenth to thirty-seventh states, the apparatus includes a receiver configured to receive an RF input signal, process the RF input signal to generate a baseband output signal corresponding to the RF input signal, and logic circuitry coupled to the receiver, wherein the logic circuitry is configured to: determine whether to process the RF input signal in a mixer-priority configuration or an amplifier-priority configuration, and / or configure the receiver to a mixer-priority configuration or an amplifier-priority configuration based on the determination.

[0127] In the thirty-ninth state, alone or in combination with one of the seventeenth to thirty-eighth states, the logic circuit is configured to determine whether to process the RF input signal in a mixer-priority configuration or an amplifier-priority configuration based on whether the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the RF input signal is higher than a threshold value.

[0128] In the 40th state sample, combined with one of the 17th to 39th state samples, the logic circuit is configured to determine whether to process the RF input signal in a mixer-priority configuration or an amplifier-priority configuration based on whether an interference signal with a signal strength higher than the threshold value is detected in the RF input signal.

[0129] In the forty-first state sample, in combination with one of the seventeenth to fortieth states, the device includes a receiver radio frequency front-end (RFFE) coupled to the receiver, the RFFE including: a filter; and a low noise amplifier (LNA), wherein logic circuitry is configured to control at least one of the filter or LNA of the RFFE based on whether a second criterion is met.

[0130] In the forty-second state, in conjunction with one of the seventeenth to forty-first states, the logic circuit is configured to control the RFFE based on determining that the strength of the transmitted signal passing through the RFFE is lower than a first threshold and / or determining that the strength of the received signal of the RF input signal passing through the RFFE is higher than a second threshold.

[0131] In state 43, alone or in combination with one of states 17 through 42, the receiver includes: an input port configured to receive an RF input signal; an amplifier coupled to the input port; a first path including a resistor coupled between the amplifier and a first set of mixers; a second path including an adjustable transistor coupled between the input port and a second set of mixers; and / or baseband processing circuitry coupled to one or both of the first and second sets of mixers.

[0132] In the forty-fourth state, combined with one of the seventeenth to forty-third states, the baseband processing circuit is coupled to both the first and second mixers, wherein the second path is coupled to the input port, and there is no low-noise amplifier between the second path and the input port, and wherein the receiver is configured to couple the input port to only one of the first or second paths at a time.

[0133] In the forty-fifth state, in conjunction with one of the seventeenth to forty-fourth states, the baseband processing circuit is coupled to the first set of mixers, and the receiver also includes a second baseband processing circuit coupled to the second set of mixers, wherein the second path is coupled to the input port, and there is no low noise amplifier in the second path and the input port, and wherein the receiver is configured to couple the input port to one or both of the first and second paths.

[0134] In the forty-sixth state, combined with one of the seventeenth to forty-fifth states, the first path and the second path share a common portion at the amplifier output.

[0135] In the 47th state sample, combined with one of the 17th to 46th state samples, the first path and the second path are separate before the first set of mixers and the second set of mixers.

[0136] In the forty-eighth state sample, in combination with one of the seventeenth to forty-seventh states, the device includes: logic circuitry configured to determine whether a standard for switching between mixer-preferred and amplifier-preferred configurations is met; and coupled to a receiver radio frequency front-end (RFFE), wherein the RFFE includes: a filter and a low-noise amplifier (LNA), wherein the logic circuitry is configured to bypass at least one of the filter or LNA of the RFFE on a standard basis.

[0137] In the forty-ninth state, combined with the twenty-seventh state, the gain control element is configured to disconnect the RF input signal from the second mixer in the amplifier priority configuration.

[0138] In the fiftieth state, combined with the seventeenth state, the first mixer and the second mixer are coupled to the LNA, and the apparatus includes a first configurable gain control element coupled to the first mixer and a second configurable gain control element coupled to the second mixer.

[0139] In the fifty-first state, in conjunction with the fiftieth state, the device includes a first degradation resistor coupled in parallel with a first configurable gain control element between the LNA and the first mixer, and a second degradation resistor coupled in parallel with a second configurable gain control element between the LNA and the second mixer.

[0140] Those skilled in the art will further understand that the various illustrative logic blocks, modules, circuits, and algorithm steps described herein can be implemented as electronic hardware, computer software, or a combination of both. To clearly illustrate this interchangeability between hardware and software, the functionality of the various illustrative components, blocks, modules, circuits, and steps has been generally described above. Whether this functionality is implemented as hardware or software depends on the specific application and the design constraints imposed on the overall system. Those skilled in the art can implement the described functionality in different ways for each specific application, but such implementation decisions should not be construed as departing from the scope of this disclosure. Those skilled in the art will also readily recognize that the order or combination of components, methods, or interactions described herein are merely examples, and that various forms of components, methods, or interactions disclosed herein can be combined or performed in ways other than those described herein.

[0141] The various illustrative logics, logic blocks, modules, circuits, and algorithmic processes described in this document can be implemented as electronic hardware, computer software, or a combination of both. The interchangeability of hardware and software has been generally described in terms of their functionality, and this is also described in the various illustrative components, blocks, modules, circuits, and processes described above. Whether this functionality is implemented as hardware or software depends on the specific application and the design constraints imposed on the overall system.

[0142] The hardware and data processing devices used to implement the various illustrative logics, logic blocks, modules, and circuits described herein can be implemented or executed using general-purpose single-chip or multi-chip processors, digital signal processors (DSPs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) or other programmable logic elements, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof. A general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor (or any conventional processor), a controller, a microcontroller, or a state machine. In some implementations, the processor can be implemented as a combination of computing devices, such as a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, multiple microprocessors, one or more microprocessors combined with a DSP core, or any other such configuration. In some implementations, specific processes and methods can be executed by circuitry that is specific to a given function.

[0143] In one or more embodiments, the described functionality may be implemented in hardware, digital electronic circuitry, computer software, firmware (including the structures disclosed herein and their structural equivalents), or any combination thereof. Implementation of the object described herein may also be implemented as one or more computer programs (i.e., modules of one or more computer program instructions) encoded on a computer storage medium for execution by a data processing device or to control the operation of the data processing device.

[0144] If implemented in software, the functionality can be stored or transmitted on a computer-readable medium as one or more instructions or code. The processes of the methods or algorithms disclosed herein can be implemented in a processor-executable software module that can reside on a computer-readable medium. Computer-readable media includes both computer storage media and communication media that include any medium capable of transferring computer programs from one place to another. Storage media can be any usable medium accessible to a computer. For example, and not limitingly, such computer-readable media can include random-access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), CD-ROM or other optical disc storage, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium that can be used to store desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and is accessible to a computer. Additionally, any connection can be appropriately referred to as computer-readable media. The magnetic disks and optical disks used herein include compact discs (CDs), laser discs, optical discs, digital versatile discs (DVDs), floppy disks, and Blu-ray discs, where magnetic disks typically copy data magnetically, while optical disks copy data laser-based. The combinations above should also be included within the scope of computer-readable media. Furthermore, the operation of a method or algorithm may reside as one or any combination of codes and instructions on machine-readable and computer-readable media, and may be incorporated into computer program products.

[0145] Various modifications to the embodiments described in this disclosure may be apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be applied to other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of this disclosure. Therefore, the scope of the patent application is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown herein, but is given the broadest possible scope consistent with the disclosure, principles, and novel features disclosed herein.

[0146] Furthermore, as will be readily understood by those skilled in the art, the terms “upper” and “lower” are sometimes used for the convenience of describing the diagram and indicate the relative position of the diagram orientation on a correctly oriented page, and may not reflect the correct orientation of any implemented device.

[0147] Some features described in this specification in the context of a single implementation may also be implemented in combination in a single implementation. Conversely, various features described in the context of a single implementation may also be implemented individually in multiple implementations or in any suitable sub-combination. Furthermore, although features may be described above as functioning in certain combinations and even originally claimed in this way, in some cases, one or more features from the claimed combination may be removed from the combination, and the claimed combination may involve sub-combinations or variations thereof.

[0148] Similarly, although operations are depicted in a specific order in the diagram, this should not be construed as requiring such operations to be performed in the specific order shown or sequentially, or requiring the execution of all illustrated operations, in order to achieve the desired result. Furthermore, the diagram may schematically depict one or more example processes in the form of a flowchart. However, other operations not depicted may be incorporated into the illustrated example processes. For example, one or more additional operations may be performed before, after, simultaneously with, or between any operations illustrated. In some cases, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous. Moreover, the separation of various system components in the above implementations should not be construed as requiring such separation in all implementations, and it should be understood that the described program components and systems can generally be integrated into a single software product or packaged into multiple software products. Additionally, some other implementations are also within the scope of the following requests. In some cases, the actions described in the requests may be performed in a different order, and the desired result may still be achieved.

[0149] As used herein, the term “or,” when used in a list of two or more items, means that any one of the items in the list may be used alone, or any combination of two or more items in the list may be used. For example, if an apparatus is described as containing components A, B, or C, the apparatus may contain A alone; contain B alone; contain C alone; a combination of A and B; a combination of A and C; a combination of B and C; or a combination of A, B, and C. Additionally, as used herein, the “or” used in “at least one of” following a list of items in the claims indicates a non-contiguous list, such as “at least one of A, B, or C”, which means A or B or C or AB or AC or BC or ABC (i.e., A and B and C) or any combination thereof. As understood by one of ordinary skill in the art, the term “generally” is defined as substantially but not necessarily entirely what is specified (and includes what is specified; for example, generally 90 degrees includes 90 degrees, generally parallel includes parallel). In any disclosure implementation, the term “generally” can be replaced by “within the specified [percentage] range”, where the percentage includes 0.1%, 1%, 5% or 10%.

[0150] The foregoing description of this disclosure is provided to enable those skilled in the art to make or use it. Various modifications to the content of this disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein can be applied to other variations without departing from the spirit or scope of this disclosure. Therefore, the content of this disclosure is not limited to the examples and designs described herein, but should be given the broadest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

[0151] 100: Wireless Network 105a, 105b, 105c, 105d, 105e, 105f: Base stations 115a, 115b, 115c, 115d, 115e, 115f, 115g, 115h, 115i, 115j, 115k: User Equipment 212, 262: Data Source 242, 282: Memory 239, 260: Data Collection 220, 264: Transmitter processor 240, 280: Controller 238, 258: Receiver processor 230, 266: TX MIMO processors 244: Scheduler 236, 256: MIMO detectors 234a, 234t, 252a, 252r: Antennas 232a, 232t, 254a, 254r: Modulator / Demodulator 300: Circuit 302: Antenna 310: Radio Frequency Front End 312, 316: Filters 314: Amplifier 318: Power Amplifier 332, 334: Switches 320: Transceiver 322: Amplifier 324: Mixer 326: Baseband Processing Circuit 328: Detection Circuit 336, 338: Switches 340A, 340B, 340N: Receiver Path 400: Method 402, 404, 406: Square 500: Methods 502, 504, 506, 508: Square 600: Circuit 602: Input Port 604A, 604B, 610: Switches 606: Amplifier 608: Matching network 612A, 612B: Resistors 614A, 614B: Gain control element 616A, 618A: First mixer 616B, 618B: Second mixer 620A, 620B: Baseband processing circuit 700: Circuit 712: Resistor 714, 724: Mixer priority gain control switches 800: Circuit; 812A, 812B: Resistors 814A, 814B: Mixer priority gain control switches 816A, 816B, 818A, 818B: Single-balanced mixers 900: Circuit 912A, 912B: Resistors 914A, 914B: Gain control element 916A, 916B, 918A, 918B: Single-balanced mixers 920A, 920B, 922A, 922B: Baseband processing circuit 1000, 1100, 1200: Frequency diagram

Claims

1. A signal processing method, the method comprising: The radio frequency (RF) input signal is processed in the receiver in an amplifier-preferred configuration via the first mixer; Determine whether the criteria for switching to the receiver's mixer-priority configuration are met; when the determination result is that the criteria are met: configure the receiver to the mixer-priority configuration, the configuration including bypassing the receiver's amplifier; The RF input signal is processed in the receiver in a mixer-priority configuration via a second mixer, wherein processing the RF input signal in the receiver in the mixer-priority configuration includes adjusting a gain control element, which is separate from the amplifier, before down-converting the RF input signal in the second mixer.

2. The method as described in claim 1, wherein determining whether the criteria for switching to the mixer-preferred configuration are met includes: Determine whether the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) is higher than the threshold value.

3. The method as described in claim 1, wherein determining whether the criteria for switching to the mixer-preferred configuration are met includes: Determine whether an interference signal with a signal strength higher than the threshold value is detected in the RF input signal.

4. The method as described in claim 1, wherein configuring the receiver to be preferentially configured for the mixer includes: Configure the first mixer as a pseudo mixer.

5. The method as described in claim 4, further comprising: After configuring the receiver to the mixer-preferred configuration: determine whether a second criterion for switching to the amplifier-preferred configuration of the receiver is met; And when the result is determined to meet the second criterion; configure the receiver in an amplifier-preferred configuration where the second mixer is a pseudo-mixer; and process the RF input signal in the receiver in the amplifier-preferred configuration via the first mixer.

6. The method as described in claim 1, wherein configuring the receiver to be preferentially configured for the mixer includes: The gain control element and the second mixer are used to switch and configure the processing path for the RF input signal.

7. The method as described in claim 6, wherein adjusting the gain control element comprises: Adjust the gain control element that is coupled in parallel with the degradation resistor.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein processing the RF input signal via the first mixer comprises: Processing the RF input signal via a first single-balanced mixer (SBM), and wherein processing the RF input signal via a second mixer includes processing the RF input signal via a second single-balanced mixer (SBM).

9. The method as described in claim 1, further comprising: Determine whether the RF input signal includes a carrier aggregation (CA) signal; And based on one or more standards including at least the RF input signal containing the CA signal: at least a first carrier of the CA signal is processed in the amplifier-preferred configuration by the first mixer; And at least a second carrier of the CA signal is processed in the mixer-preferred configuration via the second mixer.

10. The method as described in request item 9, wherein: The processing of the CA signal on at least a first carrier includes processing a 5G millimeter-wave RF signal via the first mixer, and the processing of the CA signal on at least a second carrier includes processing a 5G sub-7 GHz RF signal via the second mixer.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the amplifier includes a low noise amplifier (LNA) of a radio frequency front end (RFFE), the method further comprising: When the RF input signal is processed in the mixer priority configuration in the receiver using the second mixer, it is determined whether the second criterion is met. And when the result is determined to meet the second criterion: the RF front end is configured to bypass the low-noise amplifier.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein configuring the receiver to be preferentially configured for the mixer includes: Close the switch to couple the RF input signal to the second mixer via a matching network.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein configuring the receiver to be preferentially configured for the mixer includes: Configure the impedance of the switch that couples the RF input signal to the second mixer.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the output of the gain control element is coupled to the input of the second mixer.

15. A signal processing apparatus, comprising: A receiver includes: a receiver port for receiving an RF input signal; a first mixer coupled to the receiver port; a second mixer coupled to the receiver port; a low-noise amplifier (LNA) coupled between the receiver port and the first mixer, wherein the first mixer and the second mixer are coupled to the LNA; a switch coupled between the receiver port and the low-noise amplifier, wherein the switch is configured to at least partially switch the receiver between an amplifier-preferred configuration and a mixer-preferred configuration; a first configurable gain control element coupled to the first mixer, and a second configurable gain control element coupled to the second mixer; a first degradation resistor coupled in parallel with the first configurable gain control element between the LNA and the first mixer; and a second degradation resistor coupled in parallel with the second configurable gain control element between the LNA and the second mixer.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising a second switch coupled between the LNA and the first mixer, coupled between the LNA and the second mixer, and configured to convert the first mixer from a main mixer to a pseudo mixer.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising: The logic circuit is configured to determine whether a criterion for switching between the mixer-preferred configuration and the amplifier-preferred configuration is met. and a radio frequency front end (RFFE) coupled to the receiver, wherein the RFFE includes: a filter; and a low-noise amplifier (LNA); wherein the logic circuitry is configured to bypass at least one of the filter or the LNA of the RFFE, based on the standard.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the receiver includes an integrated circuit IC separate from the RFFE.

19. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the switch is configured to switch between the mixer-preferred configuration and the amplifier-preferred configuration by bypassing the LNA.

20. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the second configurable gain control element coupled to the second mixer is configured to adjust the gain of the RF input signal before down-converting the RF input signal in the second mixer.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the second configurable gain control element is configured to disconnect the RF input signal from the second mixer in the amplifier-preferred configuration.

22. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the first mixer comprises a single-balanced mixer (SBM), and wherein the second mixer comprises a single-balanced mixer (SBM).

23. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the switch is configured to initiate a first processing path to the first mixer, and the receiver further includes: A second switch is coupled between the receiving port and the second mixer, wherein the second switch is configured to initiate a second processing path to the second mixer.

24. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising: A second switch coupled between the receiving port and the second mixer, wherein the receiver is configured to control the impedance of the second switch to match the input impedance of the second mixer when the receiver is configured in the mixer priority configuration.

25. A signal processing apparatus, comprising: A receiver includes: a receiving port for receiving an RF input signal; a first set of mixers coupled to the receiving port; a second set of mixers coupled to the receiving port; components for configuring the first set of mixers as a master mixer in a first mode, configuring the second set of mixers as a pseudo mixer in the first mode, configuring the first set of mixers as a pseudo mixer in a second mode, and configuring the second set of mixers as a master mixer in the second mode; and components for processing baseband signals coupled to the outputs of the first set of mixers and the second set of mixers.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the first mode is an amplifier-priority mode and the second mode is a mixer-priority mode.

27. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the configuration component comprises: A component for coupling only one of the first set of mixers and the second set of mixers to the RF input signal at a time.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the first set of mixers is in a path coupled to an amplifier, and the second set of mixers is in a path including a plurality of gain control elements.

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